tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69910221230201654452017-05-17T21:08:34.143-05:00my journey into multisportJustin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-89129722283531616222011-09-27T23:59:00.000-05:002011-09-27T23:59:20.360-05:00Summer Solstice Duathlon Race Recap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that it's been a month since my last race and I'm just now putting together my race report. &nbsp;June 19 was the Summer Solstice Duathlon at White Rock Lake. &nbsp;This event was put on by a smaller organization, White Rock Racing, and it was apparent by how poorly the event was put together, starting first with the lack of information given out at the packet pickup. &nbsp;There was no course map or map of transition. &nbsp;There wasn't even an accurate map on race day. &nbsp;And you would think for $50 there would have been some sort of SWAG bag like from Ironhead Race Productions. &nbsp;They didn't use timing chips either, so I couldn't get official splits for each leg. &nbsp;And they didn't have transition marked by number, it was just a free for all in there.</span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But enough of my rant on how bad the production was...let's move to the actual race. &nbsp;I got there about an hour early to setup. &nbsp;I was trying to keep the pre-race jitters under control. &nbsp;I was a little nervous going into the race because I felt like my fitness had dropped some since transitioning to a vegan diet back in May. &nbsp;I noticed that my pace on the run had slowly climbed over the last month so my expectations were not that high for the two run legs. &nbsp;The start was delayed about 10 min due to some complications with blocking off part of Mockingbird and Buckner Roads. &nbsp;Finally the gun went off...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first half mile I was running about a 6:20 pace and was feeling pretty good but I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain that for the entire run, so I dialed it back and finished the first mile at 6:49. &nbsp;I always make the mistake of lining up at the front and end up trying to keep pace with the top guys. &nbsp;Ryan Cooper, overall winner, had an incredible first run and I tried to keep him in my sights for as long as I could. &nbsp; I made the turn at the halfway mark and headed back towards transition. &nbsp;I was still able to keep a pretty strong second half of the run with a 7:35 on mile 2, finishing with 14:33 for run 1. &nbsp;I came in about 2 min behind the leaders, so I was pretty happy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first time ever in a race I didn't have any debacles in transition. &nbsp;No one moved my shoes, I didn't knock over the rack, nothing. &nbsp;Well, I take that back. &nbsp;I did almost leave without my helmet. &nbsp;I came in to T1 and I had arranged my gear a little differently with my helmet sitting on top of my bag instead on top of my aero bars like normal. &nbsp;In my haste to get out on the bike, I got a few steps away and realized I didn't pick up my helmet. &nbsp;It cost me a few seconds overall, but it could have been more. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bike leg was going to be pretty easy. &nbsp;It was really windy but for the back half of the course it would be at my back. &nbsp;I began picking off a few riders right off the bat. &nbsp;I only had one guy pass me on the bike leg. &nbsp;It was pretty crowded because there were other riders out at the lake not participating in the race. &nbsp;As I neared one mile left on the bike there was a guy in front of me who freaked out on 2 women out for a casual ride. &nbsp;I tried to pass him but he kinda blocked me for a bit. &nbsp;I was finally able to get around him and announced "on your left." &nbsp;As I got around him I heard him yell out, "Not for long." &nbsp;I entered T2 and racked my bike, threw on my shoes, and darted out for the final 2 miles. &nbsp;I heard the guy I just passed on the bike yell, "I'm gonna get you."&nbsp;</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second run was pretty solid. &nbsp;I could feel my legs tightening up though. &nbsp;At the one mile turn around I could see the guy I had passed on the bike. &nbsp;I still had a pretty decent lead on him. &nbsp;He ended up catching me with about a half mile left. &nbsp;My last mile was significantly slower &nbsp;than my first. &nbsp;I finished 33rd overall, and 5th in my age group. &nbsp;</span></div>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-32425383032187645202011-04-06T23:26:00.001-05:002012-01-05T22:56:26.466-06:00Fast & Furious Duathlon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So my race season got started a little later than I originally planned. &nbsp;My first race was planned for February 20th, but I just wasn't feeling up to it as the race got closer. &nbsp;The "off season" got me and I hadn't been putting in the miles like I should have so I passed on the TMS Duathlon. &nbsp;I was really bummed too because I knew there was going to be some good competition out there since it was the State Championship race. &nbsp;We had a really strange winter here in Dallas so I had to do a lot of work on the treadmill and spinner bike, with some weight training sprinkled in here and there. &nbsp;I was feeling pretty strong and probably at the best shape I've been in my entire life, but I was really nervous about this race. &nbsp;I'm not sure why, and even as I write this I am still unable to put my finger on what was causing my doubt. &nbsp;</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgiY-Osgi_4/TZ0Jryq5SFI/AAAAAAAAAEs/W5L8ugGBrqw/s1600/IMAG0108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgiY-Osgi_4/TZ0Jryq5SFI/AAAAAAAAAEs/W5L8ugGBrqw/s320/IMAG0108.jpg" id="blogsy-1325825506298.04" class="" width="320" height="240" alt=""></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was really hoping to have my new bike for the start of the season and I had a number of things, including my old bike, up for sale on craigslist. &nbsp;Slowly, the items started to sell and my bike fund was building up. &nbsp;Finally, 2 weeks before the race, I sold my Allez. &nbsp;It was sad to see her go, but I was super stoked about my new bike. &nbsp;I'd had my eye on the Felt s22 since May or June and it would finally be mine. &nbsp;It's nothing really special either, aluminum frame with carbon fork, decent component set, and some super heavy wheels, but there was always something about it that I couldn't get away from and it was about to be mine. &nbsp;</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we get to the race...</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_l5wwagNpk/TZ0uBwXWjFI/AAAAAAAAAFE/koFQ8UE6y8c/s1600/trans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_l5wwagNpk/TZ0uBwXWjFI/AAAAAAAAAFE/koFQ8UE6y8c/s320/trans.JPG" id="blogsy-1325825506308.022" class="alignnone" width="320" height="240" alt=""></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My parents made the long trip from Nederland to Dallas to show their support. &nbsp;We were up at 5 to get everything packed up before heading down to Lynn Creek Park which is about 40 minutes away. &nbsp;It was kinda chilly, 60º or so, and SUPER windy. &nbsp;During the pre-race meeting Jack said the winds were gusting at 40mph! &nbsp;I had already scouted the course a few days earlier and knew that crossing the dam was already pretty sketchy. &nbsp;Now I have to add gale force winds?!?! &nbsp;This ought to be interesting...</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nNI8raT3PzM/TZ0tyoyQGsI/AAAAAAAAAE0/LQahBnpWrUI/s1600/phone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nNI8raT3PzM/TZ0tyoyQGsI/AAAAAAAAAE0/LQahBnpWrUI/s320/phone.JPG" id="blogsy-1325825506216.2583" class="" width="320" height="240" alt=""></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I setup everything in transition and hung out with Holly and my parents until the race was about to start. &nbsp;A few minutes before 8:00 we started to line up at the start. &nbsp;I tried to position myself close to the front but a couple of girls weasled their way in front of me. &nbsp;We get the horn from Jack and the race is on! &nbsp;A few strides into the run I feel something bouncing in my jersey pocket. &nbsp;I was having trouble reaching into the pocket because my race belt was blocking it. &nbsp;It took a few more strides until I was able to get the object in my hand...my phone! &nbsp;What?!?! &nbsp;I thought I put it in my transition bag? &nbsp;What am I going to do with it? &nbsp;Luckily after rounding the first loop I saw Holly and was able to toss it over to her. &nbsp;I was feeling really strong and keeping a good pace. &nbsp;I hope I can keep it up. &nbsp;I tried to monitor my pace on my Garmin during the run so I could make sure I didn't overdo it too quickly. &nbsp;Now comes transition, which I still haven't trained for. &nbsp;I setup everything so I could access it really quickly and I had counted which rack I was on after the pre-race meeting so I wouldn't have to worry about looking at the signs. &nbsp;T1 went pretty quickly at 0:55 and before I knew it I was on my way out on the bike. &nbsp;</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sv1QFeSDp6s/TZ0t0w6qQsI/AAAAAAAAAE8/lfaIcMUKtD0/s1600/t1_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sv1QFeSDp6s/TZ0t0w6qQsI/AAAAAAAAAE8/lfaIcMUKtD0/s320/t1_2.jpg" id="blogsy-1325825506258.6846" class="" width="320" height="240" alt=""></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bike leg was going to be interesting because this would be the first time I would really put any miles on my new bike. &nbsp;I rode about 2 miles on the dam a few days prior so I could see what it was going to be like but that was all I had ridden on it. &nbsp;It's SO windy and I'm not even on the dam yet. &nbsp;I had to take it easy on the way back in because the winds were gusting so hard from the left. &nbsp;It was pretty sketchy because at some parts of the road the guardrails were missing! &nbsp;When I got back into transition and tried to rack my bike a huge gust of wind caught my bike and sent the front wheel straight into the rack. &nbsp;Needless to say the rack fell over. &nbsp;Luckily there weren't any other bikes there. &nbsp;I wasted about 30 seconds trying to put the rack back together. &nbsp;I ended up just laying my bike down and throwing my running shoes on and heading out of T2. &nbsp;I told one of the volunteers as I was on my way out that the rack fell and they put it back up and racked my bike for me.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew the last run would be brutal. &nbsp;My legs were already feeling it and I was just 0.10 mi into the leg. &nbsp;A guy from another age group came along side me and we shared a few words about the wind on the dam. &nbsp;Once he got a few strides in front of me I used him as my "rabbit" to pace me the rest of the way in. &nbsp;I crossed the line at 1:06:27. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KRcCxRd9ae0/TZ0tm7Mi3NI/AAAAAAAAAEw/ff8dmAHg2H8/s1600/finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KRcCxRd9ae0/TZ0tm7Mi3NI/AAAAAAAAAEw/ff8dmAHg2H8/s400/finish.JPG" id="blogsy-1325825506278.9624" class="" width="400" height="300" alt=""></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Final results:</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall: 20 out of 47 men</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AG result: 5 out of 7 &nbsp;(The 4 guys that beat me all had top 10 finishes)</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run 1: &nbsp;15:24 - (7:42/mi pace)</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T1: &nbsp;0:55</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bike: &nbsp;31:47 - (20.8 mph)</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T2: &nbsp;1:17</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run 2: &nbsp;17:03 - (8:32/mi pace)</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span> <br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next Race: &nbsp;June 4 - DRC Bloomin' 4 Mile run with Holly</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-42432343083980101472011-01-24T23:29:00.001-06:002011-01-26T18:47:41.167-06:002011 Season<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 2011 season has arrived and the race schedule has been set. &nbsp;I've set some pretty ambitious goals for this year. &nbsp;This year I'm planning for 3 duathlons, a time trial event, a half marathon, and my first triathlon. &nbsp;I'm also going to do a 4 mile race with Holly in June. &nbsp;Since this will be my first full year I will be able to get my official USAT Ranking at the end of the year. &nbsp;I'm also moving up to the 30-34 AG. &nbsp;I've been checking out the rankings and results from the 2010 season and I think that I will do pretty well. &nbsp;There's some pretty stiff competition though. &nbsp;I'll really have to work on my run. &nbsp;The average pace from my age group seems to be around 6:45-7:00 min. &nbsp;</span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2011-the year of the run. &nbsp;I hope to average 7:30/mile over the course of my 3 duathlons and finish the year at Bronda's with an average run pace of 7:00 across all 4 miles. &nbsp;In August of last year I started adding on the miles pretty quickly and was running 7-9 on a regular basis. &nbsp;This year I will be increasing that so that by August, the Hottest Half Marathon, I will have built up to 20 miles. &nbsp;My goal for the Hottest Half is to complete the 13.1 mile course within 2 hours. &nbsp;That's only a 9:09 pace. &nbsp;Seems doable. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One week after the Hottest Half will be my first triathlon. &nbsp;It is a 350m pool swim, 13 mile bike ride, followed by a 5k run. &nbsp;Our apartment has a pretty decent pool for laps and I'm not too far away from the Frisco Aquatic Center. &nbsp;I plan on going up there on my off days and getting in a good pool workout. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty excited about this season. &nbsp;So far I have the 6 USAT events planned plus the race in June with Holly. &nbsp;I'm going to keep my eyes open for a race in May and maybe September or October. &nbsp;</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2011 Race Schedule</span></b></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">February 20</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Texas Motor Speedway Duathlon (State Championship Race)</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 3</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Fast &amp; Furious Duathlon, Joe Pool Lake</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 3</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Dam Bike Time Trial, Joe Pool Lake</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 14</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Hottest Half Marathon, White Rock Lake</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 21</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Take on the Heat Triathlon, Lewisville Lake</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 13</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Bonda's Duathlon, Texas Motor Speedway</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KiLrSuUI-HE/TT5e8pYMrQI/AAAAAAAAACo/bBFtfTLvEW4/s1600/rbr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KiLrSuUI-HE/TT5e8pYMrQI/AAAAAAAAACo/bBFtfTLvEW4/s200/rbr.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div></div>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-37182988749911247052011-01-06T22:48:00.002-06:002011-01-26T18:48:29.061-06:00off season: what shouldn't have been<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the race in November I already had my next race scheduled for February 20, the Texas Motor Speedway Du. &nbsp;It's basically the same as my first race, just colder. &nbsp;Same location, same distance, new age group. &nbsp;The USAT race age is based on your age as of 12/31/11. &nbsp;Since I'll be hitting the big 3-0, that means moving into a new age group, 30-34. &nbsp;I immediately started looking at the stats from that group in my race and in the nation and it looks pretty competitive. &nbsp;I'm going to have my hands full this year. &nbsp;I should really train this winter.</span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holly and I went to SETX for Thanksgiving. &nbsp;I brought my workout gear and planned on running every day while I was down there. &nbsp;I woke up on Thanksgiving day and went out for my own 10k Turkey Trot. &nbsp;That was the only time I ran while down there. &nbsp;I made a goal for December that I would run 50 mi over the entire month. &nbsp;Not an unreachable goal by any means. &nbsp;I started on December 1. &nbsp;I went out again on December 5. &nbsp;That was the last time I went out until after Christmas. &nbsp;I was lucky that I even hit 15 miles over those runs. &nbsp;Now it's 2011 and my next race is 44 days away. &nbsp;I didn't plan on an off-season but it crept up on me without me even realizing it. &nbsp;I've got 6 weeks and a lot of miles to go.</span></div>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-21851639573685975032010-11-16T22:28:00.007-06:002011-01-26T18:50:01.271-06:00Bronda's Duathlon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 14, 2010 - Race Day. &nbsp;</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5am came pretty early but I was up and ready to go. &nbsp;Most of my gear was prepped already from the night before so I didn't have much to do. &nbsp;I got up and made my final preparations and went down to the gym for a 20 minute warm up on the spinner bike to get the blood flowing. &nbsp;It was really nice to be the only one down there, but I guess not too many people are up working out at 5 in the morning. &nbsp;I like to listen to some Mute Math, Moby, or Blue Man Group when I'm working out because the faster tempos keep my cadence high. &nbsp;Finishing up, I came home and got my bottles together with my Hammer Nutrition Heed and Recoverite. &nbsp;These will definitely come in handy today. &nbsp;My nephew Shea spent the night with us so he could go to the race with us. &nbsp;While Holly was getting ready and Shea was watching cartoons, I was anxiously going through the race in my head. &nbsp;All my doubts started to creep in my head. &nbsp;Am I ready for this? &nbsp;No time to answer because it's time to go.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The drive out to Texas Motor Speedway was long. &nbsp;I sat in silence for most of it, though occasionally shouting out expletives because I forgot something at the apartment. &nbsp;As the sun began to creep over the horizon in my rear view mirror, I turned on my iPod and enjoyed my favorite band, the Polyphonic Spree. They always keep my spirits up. &nbsp;Before I knew it, we were rolling up to TMS. &nbsp;It was quite an experience driving through the tunnels and into the infield. &nbsp;There were already a lot of people here. &nbsp;Some already out warming up on the bike or checking out the run course. &nbsp;II parked and geared up. &nbsp;It was strange knowing that just 7 days ago there were hundreds of thousands of fans cheering as cars were speeding at 200mph. &nbsp;Today, there will just be friends and family of the 200 participants. &nbsp;It was pretty chilly so I put on my arm and leg warmers and headed for the transition zone.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since this was my first race, I had no idea of what to expect when I was racking my bike but I managed to get everything together and went to pick up my timing chip. &nbsp;I met up with Blake Britton and talked about the course. &nbsp;The run course is really flat and on the infield track of the speedway. &nbsp;The bike course consists of 3 laps around the road that surrounds the speedway. &nbsp;About two-thirds of the course is a "false flat" and then the finishing third is slightly downhill, so it's pretty fast too. &nbsp;The race director came on and began going over the rules for the race. &nbsp;Then at 8:30 the 40+ group took off. &nbsp;We would follow in just 3 short minutes, but it was the longest 3 minutes I've ever experienced. &nbsp;I made my way to the front of the group with Blake for the start and waited. &nbsp;One minute to go. &nbsp;There was a guy from a team called "Tri4Him" that was a few runners to my left. &nbsp;He took 2-3 steps forward, dropped to his knee and prayed. &nbsp;After seeing him, I silently said my own prayers for a safe race. &nbsp;30 seconds left. &nbsp;10 seconds.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took off at the gun in a dead sprint. &nbsp;I immediately knew that i could not keep the same pace as the other runners at the front, but I wanted to give it my best shot to hang with their pace. &nbsp;After a few minutes, my pace had slowed to a more comfortable speed but I was still clicking along pretty good. &nbsp;Blake had kept the same pace as when we started and was already a good way in front of me. &nbsp;A guy came up beside me and said, "I like this pace," and he settled in next to me matching my stride. &nbsp;We struck up a brief conversation. &nbsp;His name was Tim and this was his first race too. &nbsp;We kept pace with each other for almost the full 2 miles and I couldn't believe how quickly they went. &nbsp;But now comes something that I hadn't really been able to train for, Transition.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ran into transition and searched for my rack. &nbsp;After a few seconds I was able to find my bike, I looked down, and...my cycling shoes were not there! &nbsp;When I racked my bike I had left them right by my front wheel! &nbsp;Immediately I began to think, "Did someone take my shoes? &nbsp;Why would someone take my shoes? &nbsp;What am I going to do now?" &nbsp;After what felt like an eternity of looking and thinking, I glanced over at an open bag at the next bike and someone had stuck my shoes in their bag! &nbsp;I quickly threw them on, grabbed my bike, and raced out of T1.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've got more experience cycling than running so I expect the bike leg will be fairly easy. &nbsp;Leaving Transition, we raced through the infield tunnel and out onto Victory Circle where we would race 3 laps around the speedway, roughly 16 miles. &nbsp;The first two-thirds of the lap go slightly uphill. &nbsp;I hammered in my biggest gear and started passing a few racers before settling into a nice even cadence. &nbsp;I kept battling back and forth with this one guy. &nbsp;I was just keeping a steady pace and he would come speeding past me and after he would get a few bike lengths in front of me he would drop back and I would pass him up. &nbsp;This went on for about 2-3 miles and then he never passed me again. &nbsp;First lap in the books. &nbsp;Second lap was super smooth too. &nbsp;Going into the final turn on the second lap I heard some noise coming from behind me and then, almost in a blur, 3 guys came flying past me on their $5000 tri bikes with carbon disc wheels. &nbsp;They were the leaders of the race. &nbsp;I was hoping not to get lapped but... what can you do? &nbsp;I continued to weave my way through the slower competitors keeping those final 2 miles in the back of my mind.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second transition went much smoother once I found where to rack my bike. &nbsp;Before I knew it I had my NB 100 on and was running out to the infield track for the final 2 miles. &nbsp;My legs were feeling like they weighed 100 pounds each. &nbsp;My pace was considerably slower now that I was nearing the end of the event. &nbsp;I fought through and as I was coming to the end of the first lap I heard Holly yelling for me. &nbsp;That gave me the burst of energy I needed to get through the final mile. &nbsp;I rounded the final turn and saw the timing clock clicking the seconds away. &nbsp;1:23:26. &nbsp;I started running as fast as I could for those final 150m. &nbsp;I wanted to finish before the clock hit 30 seconds. I sprinted the last 50m and crossed the line right at 1:23:30. &nbsp;</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a race! &nbsp;</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goal was:</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run &nbsp;1 - 9:00 min/mi - 18:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transition 1 - 2:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bike - 20 mph avg. - 48:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transition 2 - 2:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run 2 - 9:00&nbsp;min/mi - 18:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Race Total - 1:28:00</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Results:</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run &nbsp;1 - 7:43 min/mi - 15:23</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transition 1 - 1:26</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bike - 20.2 mph avg. - 47:30</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transition 2 - 0:56</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run 2 - 9:07&nbsp;min/mi - 18:14</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Race Total - 1:23:30</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't wait to do it again in February!</span></div></span>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991022123020165445.post-18653962262257671012010-11-10T22:30:00.010-06:002011-01-26T18:50:22.765-06:00Reflection and the Final Days<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six months ago I set a goal to race my first duathlon, the 3rd Annual Bronda's Du at Texas Motor Speedway. The race consists of a 2 mile run on the infield track, a 15 mile bike around the speedway, and then another 2 mile run. Not being much of a runner, training started off slow. Around the end of May I was sidelined for a few weeks with an injury. I started pushing my training too hard, too quickly and strained my right leg. I was out of commission for a few weeks due to numbness and nerve issues. Thanks to a great chiropractor, Dr. Todd Petersen with ChiroSport, I got my running legs back. It was really good to be back running. I never really enjoyed it when I was a kid, but now I love getting out and going for a long run.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By around August I had increased my milage to running about 6-9 miles on my long training days. But just as things start clicking along at a good pace, another wrench. Our lease was coming up at our apartment and we had to move. Packing, moving, and unpacking seriously took a good chunk of my training time and the race date was quickly approaching. Thankfully our new apartment complex has a great workout room with spinner bikes so I have been able to do some indoor training since I'm farther away from White Rock now. It has been slow going the past few weeks though. Finally on October 26 I signed up for the race and I also purchased my USA Triathlon License. I was both excited and nervous. Am I going to be ready? Have I logged enough hours? I'm not looking to get on the podium by any means, but I still want to have a good showing and finish without being gassed. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are now 3 days away from the race. Final heavy training is in the books. The bike has been inspected. All that's left...is anticipation.</span></div>Justin Zakhttps://plus.google.com/118116173288362715584noreply@blogger.com0